Mitsubishi Match Recap: NBL25 Championship Series Game 3 v Illawarra Hawks

Melbourne United have secured their second road victory of the Hungry Jack’s Championship Series on Sunday evening.

Looking to silence the excitement of the WIN Entertainment Centre crowd, Jack White and Chris Goulding fired away, knocking down back-to-back triples to start the game.

Some strong plays around the rim from Marcus Lee, who stepped into the starting lineup along with Ian Clark, helped United maintain an early advantage, however a late run from the home side flipped the lead and put Illawarra up 17-22 after one quarter.

It was a slow beginning to the second period for Melbourne, with a Tanner Krebs three the only success they found in the first few minutes of action.

This allowed the Hawks to go up by as many as nine points before the United stormed back.

Clark and Dellavedova each got to the hoop for scores, while White continued his strong showing, knocking down another triple to bring his total up to 12 points.

A late steal and two made free throws from Goulding put Melbourne back in front, however a layup on the buzzer gave Illawarra back the lead heading into the major break.

Coming out of half time, United brought fantastic energy, re-taking the lead thanks to more highlight plays from the likes of White, Clark, Goulding and Dellavedova.

Following another White alley-oop finish, the visitors were in front by seven points, but a well-timed time-out from Justin Tatum halted all of Melbourne’s momentum and helped spark a 14-0 Hawks run.

This again saw the lead change hands, with Illawarra in command of a seven-point lead with one period to play.

After conceding the first two buckets of the final quarter, Melbourne locked in at both ends of the floor.

Trailing by as many as 10 points in the fourth, a Rob Loe triple, Marcus Lee layup, Ian Clark floater and Chris Goulding post score reduced the deficit to just one point.

After the Hawks hit back, Clark again finished from floater range before a Dellavedova midrange jumper gave United back the lead.

Needing more stops, Melbourne’s entire lineup stepped up, with Kyle Bowen swatting a three-point attempt, while Dellavedova and Goulding came away with clutch steals.

Ultimately, United were able to make all the big plays down the stretch and pull away for a 83-77 victory.

This gives United a 2-1 lead in the Hungry Jack’s Championship Series heading into Game 4 on Wednesday night at John Cain Arena from 7:30pm.

Tickets are selling fast, so get in quick to secure your seat via Ticketek.com.au.